Electronic computing devices have increased productivity in the workplace by enabling the easy transportation and transmission of data. However, the easy transportation and transmission of data has also created problems for those tasked with protecting an organization's confidential data.
To address this problem a number of authentication mechanisms such as card readers, biometric sensors, and fob keyless entry devices, and the like have been devised. The use of such authentication mechanisms can provide an organization with control over user access to an electronic device as well as control over user access to data on the electronic device. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,981 to Mooney et al. discloses a secure computer controlling the access to data storage devices via a card reader.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,135 to Bialick et al. discloses a device that communicates with a host computing device to enable one or more security operations to be performed by the modular device on data stored within the host computing device, data provided from the host computing device to the modular device, or data retrieved by the host computing device from the modular device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,336 to Kolls discloses a universal server that wirelessly networks a plurality of portable digital devices to an electronic commerce terminal. The system can include authentication mechanisms such as a smart card reader, a keypad, a magnetic card reader, or biometric sensors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,679 to Infonsino discloses a universal card that can be deployed as an access card. A universal card reader can read the universal card and the universal card reader can communicate with various electronic devices such as a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, or a personal computer. The universal card reader includes an interface that may be a wired interface, or a wireless interface such as an antenna for communicating via radio waves and/or an infrared communications interface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,278 to Baird, III et al. discloses a device for providing access to a remote site. Access to the device is gained through an authentication process during which a user password and biometrics are provided to the device. Once authenticated, the device authorizes access to a remote site (e.g., a web site or a server on a local area network).
Unfortunately, such conventional systems have a number of shortcomings. For instance, once a user is signed onto an electronic device, the user can remain signed onto the electronic device even though the user walks away from the electronic device. Another shortcoming is that a user usually has to be authenticated for each device that has an authentication mechanism.